Handling Emotions and Sportsmanship in Youth Sports ft. Justin Bogers

Join Valerie Alston and special guest Justin Bogers, a dad, coach, and board member for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, in this insightful episode of Car Ride Conversations for Sports Families. Explore the highs and lows of youth sports, focusing on building character, mental health, and sportsmanship. Hear an eye opening story about a post-game handshake gone wrong and learn valuable lessons on emotional control for coaches, parents, and players. Tune in for actionable tips, heartfelt stories, and meaningful conversations to help young athletes grow both on and off the field. Stay tuned till the end for discussion prompts and information on the You Matter Ankeny Classic for Mental Health softball tournament.

00:00 Introduction to Car Ride Conversations

01:34 Meet Justin Bogers: Coach and Mental Health Advocate

03:43 The Post-Game Handshake Incident

07:13 Handling Emotions and Setting Examples

09:49 Building a Positive Sports Community

19:58 Conversation Prompts for Parents and Coaches

22:39 Closing Remarks and Resources

To reach out to Justin about starting a tournament or project like this email him at [email protected] 

To participate in the tournament please visit: https://usssa.com/baseball/event_home/?eventID=409341  or email the Ankeny Girls Softball Association at: [email protected] 

Discussion questions:

1. Have you ever seen a coach, parent, or player lose their cool at a game? How did it make you feel in that moment?
2. What are some ways we can calm ourselves down when we’re frustrated by a bad call or a tough play?
3. Why do you think it’s important for coaches and parents to admit when they make mistakes too?
4. What do you think kids learn more from—winning, or how adults handle winning and losing?
5. (Parent reflection add-on) What’s one emotion you find hardest to manage when watching your child play, and how could you handle it differently next time?

Thanks for joining me on Confident, Calm, and Clutch Car Ride Conversations! If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe to the podcast so you never miss a moment. Share it with other parents or coaches who could use a little extra inspiration on the go.

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For more specific tips on building mental toughness, buy my book Confident, Calm and Clutch: How to build confidence and mental toughness for young athletes using sports psychology

Parents join my Facebook group to Help Your Athlete Gain Mental Toughness for Parents

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Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email me: [email protected]

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